In the U.S., toilets account for 30% of indoor water use, but this is mostly due to their inefficient design. So I was pleased to find the Stealth Ultra-High-Efficiency Toilet toilet by Niagara. This is probably the most water efficient flush toilet available for residential use. The Stealth uses only 0.8 gallons per flush (GPF). This is much less than the average …
VPNs That Take Privacy and Anonymity Seriously
VPN or “virtual private network” is the easiest way to make your internet activities private. If you want to browse the web privately or share files privately, a VPN will encrypt and redirect your connections anonymously. When you are connected to a VPN, all the data leaving your computer is encrypted.
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Buying A Computer With Linux Preinstalled
Linux is a great operating system. But realistically, not everyone wants to install it from a DVD or ISO file. During installation, there’s often hardware capability problem that are difficult to resolve. Instead, you might consider buying a computer Linux installed on it, ready to go.
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An Update On My Quest Not To Be Tracked
I thought I’d publish an update on my quest to create a computer set-up that eliminates tracking companies from my world. Basically, this infographic explains why (it’s a large graphic — you may have to zoom in). So far I’ve really only eliminated the following: Google, Facebook and various other data collection companies. I’ve made my web browsing relatively free …
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Should We Trust Online Companies With Our Intimate Details?
It has become the norm to trust large online corporations with intimate details of our lives. Is this really a good idea?
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How To Remove Your Personal Information From Online Databases
Today, there are numerous databases and search engines being filled with our personal data, and more people are using online tools to do background checks on their neighbors, business associates and potential employees.
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How To Control Your Data Online
We’ve become accustomed to online companies hosting our data, but this practice is actually highly inefficient. This page explains the situation pretty simply. My advice is to use “unhosted” online services that support personal data control, or “zero-knowledge” services that encrypt your data before it leaves your computer. I’ve created a list of suitable services at the end of this …
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Efficient In 2012: Collaborative Consumption
The rise of collaborative consumption is perhaps the most efficient movement arising in society today. Basically, collaborative consumption is based on an economic model where products are shared or rented instead of owned. This model may become pervasive enough to replace the ownership-based model we have today. For good introduction to this movement, see the video above. It’s by Rachel …
Efficient: Private, Decentralized Networks
The Internet is a wonderful invention, and we are now entering a time where the Internet is becoming nearly ubiquitous in our lives and quickly supplanting traditional forms of media. However, today the Internet is often censored and tracked by Internet Services Providers (ISPs) and companies like Google and Facebook, as well as governments around the world. (I’ve outlined some …
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Mint: A Free, Easy-To-Use Operating System
I’ve converted my Apple computers to run Mint Linux in place of OS X. Mint Linux was built to be easy to install and a system that novice users could enjoy. Based on Ubuntu, Mint became the poplar desktop version of Linux this year. Linux is a free, open-source operating system that been around for 30 years. It’s not widely …
